Cool as Ice and just as slick

On looks alone, the Gilera Ice scooter is sure to be a winner with young riders. It also has exceptional handling and agility, says Kevin Ash

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Holiday on ice: the Gilera is easy to use, although some might find the seat too high and main frame tube obtrusive

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At the controls: the dash complements the styling

By Kevin Ash

12:01AM GMT 22 Nov 2001

I'll get the pun out of the way first - the Gilera Ice really is very, very cool. There's no question that it is looks above all else which will sell this little scooter, but since those looks are so original and attractive, it's going to sell very well indeed.

Practicality comes lower down the Ice's list of attributes - there's no storage space beneath the seat, so either you lock your helmet to it and hope for the best or lug it around with you. All you get is a (very) small compartment in the front legshield - it's just about big enough for a pair of gloves, but that's it. This shouldn't be a problem for the young buyers the Ice is aimed at, though.

But this is not to say that it's impractical. The Hi-PER2 engine is the same unit that powers the Piaggio NRG and uses lean-burn technology invented by the Australian company Orbital.

It's extremely clean environmentally, further aided by a catalytic converter, and it's economical, too. Just as important, it's easy and predictable to use, with a quick throttle response and good power for a 50cc unit. Even in restricted form, with the top speed limited to 30mph, the Ice still pulls away from traffic lights smartly enough to keep you in front of most traffic until the road opens out.

There are also two plastic blocks on each side which are designed to take the brunt if the Ice falls over, although in a walking-pace spill I witnessed (it was a journalist trying to be clever - off the public road, I should add) none of them actually hit the ground! Instead, the footboard picked up a few scratches, but that was the limit of the damage.

The handling is exceptional for a 50cc scooter, partly because of the high quality suspension and partly because that eye-catching chassis is also extremely stiff - Gilera claims it has 400 times more torsional rigidity than a typical 50cc scooter. You pay for this by having the main frame tube running between your calves, but unless you really must have the flat footboard of more conventional scooters, it's not a problem.

The steering is very sharp, as you'd expect with the light weight and 10in wheels, but once you've adjusted to the lightning rate of turn it is also predictable, so you can flick the Ice through traffic with great agility.

Although the Ice is compact, note that the seat is still quite high. Shorter riders will struggle to reach the ground, which makes town use very difficult. It's a bit of a puzzle why this should be - the wheels are small, the engine compact and laid out horizontally and, as mentioned, there's no storage beneath the seat, so it could in theory have been a lot lower. Or even adjustable, like the AKA g-racer.

Whatever the reason, this is a delightful little machine, both to ride and to look at, and it can be legally ridden on a full car licence.